The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-05
ONE womAN,s VOTE.
The New York Woman who has
Passed the Barriers.
Woman,s Journal.


Mrs. Lucy S. BARRIERS account of her yot-
ing at Alfred, Allegheny Co., N. Y, at the
State election last month is deeply interest
ing. For fifty years Alfred township has
been the seat of Alfred University, which is
sustained by the Seventh Day Baptist de-
nomination, and now has nearly FIVE hun
dred students, about half of whom are ladies',
The influence of the University has made
the town unusually intelligent, added to
which Rev. DR.. j. Allen, the president, is a
veteran suffragist, and is styled by his friends
an "unconquerable" one; while Prof Oar
win Maxson and others of the faculty have
helped to enlighten public sentiment in the
place.
Last year, Mrs. A. X. Wittee and three
other ladies asked the inspectors before cleo
ton whether their votes would be received,
and expressed readiness to take the voters
oath The inspector, not understanding
the law, discouraged them, and they did not
go to the polls. This year, when the under
signed again sent out a statement showing
that 1t Is the duty of inspectors to take wom-
ems votes If they take the oath, Rev. L. L.
Llyermore, general agent of the University,
who is editor of the local paper, the Alfred
Sun, published the statement in his paper APP
nrovingy. This encouraged Mrs. Barber,
who writes in various letters to the under
signed
Il am obliged for your words of rejoicing
at the first blow dealt the enemy by wom-
an. | am surprised that no other woman
voted this year. supposed there would be
a good number. worked hard on election
day TO get other women to go with me. Some
nad company; some expected company some
were not well; some were afraid to go; one
was moving and was too tired; one would
like to go, but was afraid on account Of her
husband and father, who opposed it, Her
father and son are moderate drinkers, her
husband is drunkard, and her brother died
this year OF delirium tremens. Our w. G. Il.
Y. had meeting that day, net knowing
they could vote They met two miles from
the poll, in the afternoon. l attended, and
they said If they had known it in time they
would all have voted.
/ had seen what you said in the papers
about women voting; so | marched to the
polls alone, and said to myself | would vote
if no other woman did. / thought if it was
legal, it was right, and that it was
my duty to help So | went ahead. The
men, when they saw me go through the crowd
outside and into the bar-room, poured
in, crowded the room, and stared at
me, but were otherwise quite civil. Mr..
W: II. III. Keller challenged my vote, but
ana not scare worth cent. | felt less
scared than before, Some one said: You
must be male citizen 10 vote. Will you
swear you are?' | answered. | not need to
be. | know what am about, or / should
not be here Mr.. H. w. Green said to the
inspectors, sex does not exclude. A woman
who can truly take the oath is entitled to
vote. Ii she takes it, you are required by
law to receive her vote The chairman read
the law and admir- istered the oath, seeming
very nervous, and my ballots were put into
the boxes. After | was gone another man
talked very angrily, said | had no right to
vote, and he would have me arrested. He
did go to Wellsville to consult LAWYERS, but
since his return has kept very quiet | have
heard that was arrested and taken to Jail
also that ! Swore in my vote as male citi
zen, and would be arrested for false swearing
but as far as / know | am not in Jail vet.
Threats have been made in Hornellsyille,
Belmont and elsewhere; but don't scare.
have received many letters of congratula-
ton and thanks All the inspectors who
have refused wOmens votes have violated
the law and should be made to feel this
Mrs. Barber is native of Alfred, and
has been Twenty-Five years member of the
Seyenth-Day Baptist Church. Her maiden
name was Sweet. Her grandparents were
among the first settlers of the town. She
was married very young to man nine years
her senior, who was then a harness maker,
but Is now engaged in farming. She has
had eleven children, has buried four in in
fancy, and had a son crushed to death be.
tween cars while coupling them. Her expe-
rience shows, l think, the true course foI
New York women. AT everyelection they
should try in every district in the State.
The way has been broken for them. Let
them continue to go forward, and break il
afresh, district by district, till they vote in
the whole four thousand, as the law entities
them to do,